Business Energy Savings Tips

Improve your business – and your bottom line – by saving energy.

Managing your energy use wisely can improve your bottom line, reduce waste, increase productivity and lower your energy costs. Educating and urging your employees to be energy conscious can greatly increase your success.

These energy saving tips can help businesses in a wide range of industries become more energy efficient. Some of the information provided here was gathered from these reputable sources:

Scroll down for low or no-cost quick tips and advice about motors, refrigeration, chillers, lighting, cooling and heating and water heating.

Quick Tips

Adjust thermostats or use a smart programmable thermostat. Lower the heat and raise the air conditioning temperature when the building is unoccupied. A smart thermostat will learn your heating and cooling patterns and automatically adjust to your business operations.

Reduce the hot water temperature. Dialing back your water heater can decrease heat loss from your tank.

Install low-flow aerators in sink and bathroom faucets. Low-flow aerators on sinks and faucets will save you energy and water and reduce your monthly bills.

Reduce lighting. Use natural lighting, when available, or task lighting. Only light areas where light is needed and at the right levels for safety or the task. Turn off lights when they're not in use.

Seal cooling and heating ductwork. Seal air duct leaks in joints, elbows and connections, which can account for up to 30 percent of your total energy loss. Leaks can be especially costly if the ducts travel through unheated or un-cooled spaces such as attics, basements or crawlspaces.

Insulate the water tank. Installing an insulated wrap around your water tank is an inexpensive way to reduce standby heat loss from the tank. Be sure to leave the air intake vent uncovered when insulating a gas water heater.

Replace HVAC air filters regularly and follow maintenance schedules for furnace and air conditioning equipment. Replacing a dirty air filter improves air flow and saves you money by reducing the amount of energy needed to run the blower motor.

Install automatic room-lighting controls. Install sensors and timers for lighting that will automatically turn lights on and off, depending on occupancy or time of day.

Maintain refrigeration equipment. Clean heat exchangers and perform routine maintenance on refrigerating equipment to ensure the most efficient operation.

Don’t heat or cool unused rooms. Shut doors to unused rooms and turn off the cooling and heating in those areas, such as storage rooms.

Turn off machines and equipment when not needed. In many businesses, this simple approach can achieve big savings. Turn off equipment such as computers, monitors, printers and copiers when they’re not in use.

Buy energy-efficient equipment. When buying or replacing computers, copiers and other office equipment, compare the energy requirements of various models and look for the ENERGY STAR label.

Seal exterior cracks and holes to ensure tight-fitting windows. Seemingly small cracks or holes in walls, windows, doors ceiling and floors can add up to heating or cooling losses. Install weather stripping and caulking to stop these air leaks.

Shade sun-exposed windows and building walls. Direct sunlight streaming through windows in the summer can substantially increase your air conditioning costs. When it’s hot outside, use window coverings, awnings, trees and shrubs to lower heat gain.

Repaint the building exterior and roof with light colors. When it's time to repaint the exterior of your building, consider using light colors. More sunlight will be reflected away from the building, lowering heat gain and cooling costs, which may be your largest energy use.

Block and insulate unneeded windows and other openings. Aside from improving security, covering unneeded windows and doors can greatly reduce energy losses from those openings.

Motors

Use Premium Energy Efficient Motors

Consider buying premium energy-efficient motors when installing new motors or replacing existing motors. Premium efficiency motors are 1-4 percent more efficient than standard motors and meet federal minimum efficiency standards. Because many motors operate 40 to 80 hours per week or more, even small increases in efficiency can yield huge energy savings.

Motors should also have the proper horsepower rating for the load and not be oversized. Most electric motors operate at maximum efficiency near 75 percent of the rated load with efficiency tending to decrease dramatically below about 50 percent load.

Install Variable Frequency Drives

Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) can be used with motors to help reduce energy costs. VFDs are electronic systems used to control motor speed by changing the frequency and voltage supplied to the motor. VFDs can produce substantial energy savings, especially for varying loads and small reductions in motor speed. For example, a 20 percent reduction in motor speed can reduce energy consumption by nearly 50 percent. Pump, fan and compressor systems with variable loads should be considered for retrofit with VFDs.

Replace V-belts with Cogged or Synchronous Belt Drives

Consider installing cogged or synchronous belt and pulley drive systems on motors using V-belt drives. Synchronous belts operate with less slippage and produce less heat than standard V-belts, which depend upon tension for power transmission. Lower tension also reduces motor load and bearing wear. Poorly maintained V-belts slip, generating more heat and energy loss. When properly maintained, V-belt drive efficiency can run as high as up to 98 percent at the time of installation. During operation, however, V-belt efficiency deteriorates as much as five percent. The efficiency of a poorly maintained V-belt may decrease an additional 10 percent.

Check for Compressed Air System Leaks

VFD/VDC Air Compressors and Zero-Loss Drain Traps

Most manufacturers use compressed air systems to power a variety of equipment including machine tools, material handling, separation equipment and spray painting equipment. Instead of using a typical modulating compressor, consider using an air compressor with a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) or Variable Displacement Capacity (VDC). These compressors improve the efficiency of the compressor motor by matching the output needed to meet the full or partial load of a compressor. Many compressed air systems will use two compressors, providing for redundancy and additional flow during usage peaks.

No-loss air drain valves – also known as zero-loss drain traps – continuously measure the presence of condensate and purge it only when necessary. No-loss drains open a valve only when signaled by the condensate level

Refrigeration

Use Energy Efficient Motors

Refrigeration equipment typically uses conventional, low-efficiency, shaded-pole motors. When shopping for new units, look for refrigeration equipment with energy efficient motors, such as split capacitor or electronically-commutated motors. If you don’t have plans to replace your refrigeration equipment anytime soon, consider replacing the shaded pole motors with more energy-efficient ones. Since refrigeration equipment operates 24 hours a day, your energy savings from this improvement could be substantial.

Clean Heat Exchanger Coils

Dirty heat exchanger coils can significantly affect the efficiency of your refrigeration equipment. Over time, these coils become clogged with dirt and dust, making the compressor work harder and consume more energy. Make annual cleaning of refrigeration coils part of your regular maintenance schedule.

Cleaning dirty refrigeration coils can save up to 25 percent in operation costs and help prevent early compressor failure. The dust build-up acts as an insulator, causing the refrigerator to work harder to keep food cool. Clean the coils with a vacuum or dust broom or consult the owner's manual for specific cleaning instructions.

Chillers

Install High Efficiency Chillers

For many years, chillers used 1 to 1.5 kW per ton of cooling. However, newer model chillers use only 0.48 to 0.8 kW per ton of cooling and contain refrigerants that do not damage the ozone layer. These high efficiency units are cost-effective replacements for older chillers nearing the end of their useful life, or even for newer chillers that operate for most of the year. A chiller with a SEER of 15 — or its kW per ton approximate equivalent — can provide major savings on your cooling costs.

Use a Variable-speed Drive for Chillers

Most chillers can operate down to 25 percent or even 15 percent of their rated capacity. However, their operating efficiency decreases significantly at these lower capacities. This means that cooling can be very inefficient in the spring and fall, when cooling loads are usually small.

This problem can be corrected by installing a variable speed drive on the chiller compressor motor. For chillers that often run at part load, the savings can be significant. Variable speed drives regulate the frequency and voltage applied to a motor to control its speed and save it from unnecessary work, thus saving energy dollars.

Contact an air conditioning professional to evaluate options for your specific application.

Lighting

Install Energy Efficient Lighting

According to the U.S. Energy Administration, offices generally use the most energy for lighting. ENERGY STAR light fixtures use up to 25 percent less energy and distribute light more efficiently and evenly than traditional lighting. A lighting professional can recommend a lighting plan that’s right for your office or facility that may include bi-level switching, dimmers, occupancy sensors and daylight sensors.

Here are some energy efficient lighting options:

T12 and T8 Fluorescent Lighting

Retrofitting T12 and T8 fixtures with Light Emitting Diode (LED) tubes can reduce energy use by 40-75 percent, depending on the configuration of the lamps. LED lamps also offer better color rendering characteristics, eliminate light flicker and generate less heat than fluorescent lamps. The reduction in heat also can translate to lower cooling costs.

LED Lamps

Replace incandescent indoor lighting with LED lamps, which use 60 to 85 percent less energy. The lifespan of a typical incandescent bulb is about 1,200 hours compared to 25,000 to 50,000 hours for an LED bulb.

HID (High Intensity Discharge) Exterior Lights

High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps are energy efficient but do have some drawbacks, such as long delays for restrike and poor color rendering. High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamps are a type of HID that give off a yellowish light, while the Metal Halide variety of HID lamps cast a more bluish light with a Color Rendering Index (CRI) in the range of 65-70 (100 is the highest CRI, rendered by sunlight). Mercury Vapor lights are another HID technology with lower CRI than MH.

Retrofit Exit Signs with Energy-efficient Light Sources

Older buildings commonly used incandescent lamps in their exit signs. Incandescent exit signs typically use two 20-watt lamps. While the wattage is low, these fixtures remain on 24 hours a day. Replacing these incandescent signs with more energy-efficient alternatives, such as LED units or electroluminescent (EL) signs, will reduce energy use. Retrofit kits with either two 7-watt fluorescent lamps or one 2-watt LED unit will provide the same lighting as the incandescent lamps.

Use Fluorescent or LED Lamps in Task Lighting

Task lights, such as desk lamps, provide light where needed instead of lighting an entire area. Task lights can be used in overhead cabinets, office workstations and exam rooms. Desk and table lamps add flexibility because they can be easily moved to where they are needed.

Task lights often use incandescent lamps. By replacing the incandescent lamps with LEDs, you can typically reduce energy consumption by 60 to 70 percent. In addition, heightening light levels in specific areas can reduce the need for ceiling fixtures and prevent eyestrain caused by overhead lights reflecting on computer monitors. However, fluorescent lamps have an imperceptible flicker and may cause eyestrain and, consequently, may produce headaches. LED lamps operate continuously and produce no flicker.

Use Day Lighting

Cooling and Heating

Install a Smart Programmable Thermostat

A smart programmable thermostat will learn your temperature preferences and occupancy times and automatically adjust the temperature to fit your hours of operation. Through proper use and programming, a smart thermostat can save you about $180 every year in energy costs.

Keeping the daytime temperature at the recommended 78 degrees will keep costs down. A smart thermostat also will automatically adjust the thermostat when the facility is unused or unoccupied.

Get an AC Tune-up

Your air conditioning system needs a tune-up to run efficiently, just like your car. AC systems typically lose up to two percent in efficiency for every year that passes without proper maintenance. This can result in steady increases in your cooling costs.

Proper maintenance includes cleaning condenser coils and inspecting and changing filters regularly or as recommended. Dirty and clogged air filters block the flow of conditioned air and are the most common source of air conditioning service calls. You should also check the refrigerant levels annually and recharge as needed. Consult your owner's manual for proper maintenance of your particular system.

Replace Air Filters Regularly

Water Heating

Reduce Water Heater Temperature

Install Timers on Water Heaters

Water heaters are usually controlled only by temperature. When the temperature of the water in the storage tank drops below its set-point, the heater turns on until the water exceeds the set-point, even if the water is not used.

Install a timer to automatically shut down the heater at close-of-business and then to restart the unit to warm up just before hot water is needed. Timers can save unnecessary heating costs that include stand-by losses – heat that is lost through the walls of the storage tank.

Install a Heat Pump Water Heater

Other Tips

Turn Off Unused Equipment and Electronics

When office equipment such as computers, printers or copy machines are not being used for extended periods (weekends or overnight), the devices should be turned off. You can turn off your computer's display monitor and printer while leaving the main computer CPU on without any adverse effects on the equipment. This typically saves up to 60 percent of the operating costs of the whole computer system. Assign an employee this task, and/or post suitable reminder signage on the equipment.

Business Energy Savings Tips

Improve your business – and your bottom line – by saving energy.

Quick Tips

Motors

Refrigeration

Chillers

Lighting

Cooling and Heating

Water Heating

Other Tips

Commercial Rebates

We use cookies to optimize our website and our services.

Call us

Connect with us

Download our app